The key for working smarter, faster and more securely

It’s easier than ever to share ideas across the world. But as technology
keeps advancing to connect us, so do the techniques of those with bad
intentions. The
number of records breached in 2014 was staggering; weak usernames and
passwords remain the leading cause. The introduction of 2-Step
Verification added a layer of security for your Google Account, but we
knew more could be done.

That’s why Google, working with the FIDO Alliance standards organization, developed the
Security Key—an actual physical key used to access your Google Account. It
sends an encrypted signature rather than a code, and ensures that your
login cannot be phished. And using this key saves you time—when you need to
verify your Google Account on a Chrome browser, the key’s light will flash.
Just tap it and the signature sends automatically. In fact, when we rolled
the Security Key out to Googlers last year, they loved that it was so much
faster than when they had to enter a code.

New G Suite controls to manage Security Keys

Businesses like Yelp and Woolworths started piloting the Security Key at
work and have been looking for ways to scale adoption. Cameron Roberts, G
Suite SME at Woolworths Limited told us, “We have a large workforce and
it’s imperative that all of our accounts are secure. The Security Keys are
a great step forward, as they are very practical and more secure.” Ryan de
Temple, IT Engineer for Security at Yelp said, “As we roll Security Keys
out to our users, we realized the importance of a management toolset to
audit and revoke keys, as well as reports on key enrollment activity.”

In the coming weeks, Google Drive admins will be able to easily deploy,
monitor and manage the Security Key at scale with new controls in the Admin
console with no additional software to install. IT admins will see where
and when employees last used their keys with usage
tracking and reports. If Security Keys are lost, admins can easily
revoke access to those keys and provide backup codes so employees can still
sign-in and get work done.

Admins can order Security Keys from online retailers or directly
from a manufacturer. Multiple models are available and prices start at $6
per key. You can have a smaller model permanently in the USB slot, so it’s
available at your fingertips or carry a larger removable model on your
keychain or in your wallet. We hope you also take advantage of what the
Security Key can do to help protect your organization.